A Different Kind of Show
by Lieutenant H.W
Summary: A one-shot about Shiki's arrival at Cross Academy and how he felt about living under a pureblood's rule. VK & all characters c Matsuri Hino.


_Okay so I wanted to just say hi and apologize 10 zillion times for the whole **After Dark **thing (which I've decided to continue after all btw) and thank you all for your continued loyalty. Your reviews really do mean a lot, considering that I don't get them on any of my serious stories *sniff* XD so here's a one shot for you. Enjoy the one-shotness. XD _

_Dedicated to** Vampire Maddy** & **A and N** and everyone who has ever reviewed my fan works.  
_

_Today our star chara is Shiki Senri. I call him Senri in this story, because frankly, who the heck calls themselves by their last names personally?! This was interesting to write, because I don't think Shiki or Rima really get explored very much in VK. I hope I didn't make them too OOC. Enjoy._

-Lt. H.W.

_

* * *

  
_

"Get out zere luv! You're gonna steal deh show!" urged the attendant and Shiki Senri strode onto the catwalk, striding leg over leg in the show gait of models to the end of the catwalk, where he struck a pose in the designer gear, his sensitive eyes screaming at the blindingly bright lights of the massive Paris theatre. Senri's instincts wanted desperately to narrow his eyes, but Senri was composed, in control. He stared into the painful light and smiled engagingly, to cheers from the crowd and grudging nods from the critics. This was it; this was his world and the world that had once been his mother's, before she had ran astray of Kuran Rido the pureblood. Though Senri loathed thinking about it, he knew that it was because of his father and because of him that his poor mother had left this world that she had loved.

So Senri, from as far back as he could recall, had tried to live up to her old glory.

Camera flashes made his eyes twitch, but he resisted the urge to blink and he turned on heel, working every inch of his famous body for his fans. He walked the walk that only models knew, then strode through the curtains, back into the comparatively less bright but more hastled landscape of backstage. Senri was instantly beset by his agent and attendants, who ran him back to the change room like grooms leading a prize racehorse to its next chase. Like a courser, Senri adored his job. What wasn't to love about walking around in the world's best clothes and not having to ever do much more than that? Of course, he did often wish that his job was a night one, but with pay as good as his, Senri gladly gave up his natural orientation.

Then of course, there was _her._

Senri turned his head as he smelled her enter, making his attendant who had been restyling his dark red hair yelp. She was far more interesting than anything else in the world; she was his best friend, his co-worker and the person who was almost single-handedly responsible for his upkeep. Her magnificent fox-copper hair was up today, glinting golden in the lights of the room and like Senri, she looked transformed, alert. She currently wore a strapless midnight blue dress worthy of a pureblood and with a price tag just as high.

"Shiki. Are you almost done?" asked Rima, fingering the diamonds at her throat. Shiki understood that; it was a sign they'd made up. Rima was having bloodlust something terrible and the amount of humans around wasn't helping.

"Just two more, then he's finished Rima." said their agent, hovering around with no inkling of what message had passed between her two vampire clients. "Then it's your turn. Don't sweat all over that dress pacing, it's worth more than a medieval painting."

"Oh good. Then I get to go." said Rima as Senri pulled on a leather jacket, which the agent checked before pushing him out onto the catwalk again. When Senri came back Rima was waiting again, tracking him with her eyes as he changed into the next outfit. He could still recall how it was that they'd met; it had been at a show when they'd both been little and had been looked after by separate agents, back when their parents still escorted them. Senri had been struggling into a tiny tuxedo backstage when he'd looked up and there, clinging to the hand of her father, had been Rima. Their friendship had almost been an arranged thing, for Rima's father had instantly cancelled her current contract and had hired Senri's agent… they'd been friends ever since. Two vampires were better than one, especially considering a vampire's diet.

Senri did his run again, then there was intermission. This was the hard part; somehow get out of sight of their agent, do the deed and somehow not get covered in blood. Senri casually grabbed a towel, pleading that he needed to use the facilities and went to stand outside, leaning against the wall of the theatre casually. There was only a few minutes of waiting, then she came out, a towel over her shoulders as if to keep warm.

"We've gotta make this quick Shiki. Intermission ends in five." said Rima, flinging an arm about his shoulders companiably and proceeding to half drag him behind a dumpster. "Those humans… you know."

"Alright then." said Senri passively, letting Rima wrap the towels around his shoulders to protect his clothes. He didn't mind giving blood, not to her or his mother. They seemed to lust after it more than he did, though he was half pureblood. He lowered his neck a little and didn't flinch or even blink when Rima bit him without tarrying. Senri was so used to it, that he sighed and let his mind wander to the vague thought that he was getting tired, now that he was done for the night. He felt a little dizzy as Rima pulled away her fangs and licked the fresh blood away from the wounds that she had inflicted.

"Thanks." panted Rima, drawing back and using a corner of one of the towels to wipe off her mouth, then she peered at Senri. "Any still there?"

Senri looked close, then shook his head. "No, go and get ready! I'll take care of this."

"Hai, thanks again!" said Rima, scurrying back inside to the lights. Senri winced a little and felt the puncture wounds in his neck, which, thanks to the hated DNA of his father, were already healing over. It would of taken much longer than this for any other vampire to heal, but then, most vampires didn't have as much pureblood as Senri did. He brought his fingers back up to his nose, smelling blood on them and licked them off. He couldn't go back inside until there were no longer any traces. Senri got rid of the towel (though not without trying to lick as much blood off of it as he possibly could; he wasn't _completely _immune to the scent of it after all) and made sure his wounds were healed, then he went back inside to watch Rima's runs.

She was gorgeous, her face aglow as she strode along the catwalk, the human females paling in comparison to her brilliance. Rima came back, clapping Senri on the shoulder as she passed, but not stopping to chat. Again Shiki watched her go out and the pageant night wore on, time after time both of them stalking out, to glares from their human comrades.

"I swear you two could make any fashion look good." cried their agent at the end of the night as she sat with them in the back of their limo on the way to their hotel. They had both made their agent very rich over the years and they liked the human a lot, for she managed them well. She sat across from them in the dim back of the vehicle, unaware of what they were. If she had had any idea of what their true advantage was, perhaps she wouldn't of been so eager to put herself in a confined space with them. But they had been very careful in keeping that secret, so their agent remained blissfully clueless.

"The critics _loved _you; I've had three bookings already tonight." said the agent. "I expect at least twenty more by tomorrow; your schedule for next year will be very busy."

"My father spoke to you about what's happening right?" said Rima suddenly. Senri glanced at her curiously, wondering what she was referring to.

"Ah yes, that; don't worry; it'll work out fine and the clients will understand. Achieving higher education is an esteemed thing." said their agent, glowing. "Actually I'm proud of you Rima; this should be a good life experience for you, since you've been home schooled your whole life."

"Yes, I'm looking forwards to it." said Rima pleasantly. Senri frowned at her, wondering what in the world she was speaking of - higher _what_?! "My parents are very pleased that I'm going."

"Rima, _where_ are you going?" demanded Senri in confusion.

"No, Shiki, it's where _we _are going." said Rima. "I tried explaining it to you on the way here from Japan, but you fell asleep before I even got started. You need to attend parties more often; then you would've heard about it before, but since you didn't I'll just let you figure it out on your own."

"How do you know I'm going to… whatever-this-is?" asked Senri, flabbergasted.

"Because I'm going and so are a lot of other people we know." said Rima, putting special emphasize on 'other.' "I'll tell you more later."

"Oh… alright." said Senri, stepping out of the limo as it parked in front of their gothic hotel. Instantly he realized that something was different, for it was altogether unreasonably too bright to be night time, which he knew it to be, then he realized it was because of camera flashes.

_Ugh…_ thought Senri, shading his unprepared, stinging eyes and blinking. A moment later there was a squeal and he was enveloped in a hug before he could even discover who was assaulting him. His vision now rendered useless by the person embracing him, he sniffed cautiously, then smiled, hugging his mother back. Her presence explained the sheer amount of annoying cameras lighting up the square. Already he had a fairly sure notion of what all the celebrity magazines and French newspapers would be saying by the next morning.

"Mom…" complained Senri hesitantly and she drew back, beaming at him, then grabbing his arm so he could escort her to the hotel doors, where Rima waited with the agent already. It wasn't until they were safely ensconced in an elevator and the agent had left that Senri's mother let go of his arm, hugging him again instead. Slightly baffled, he returned the gesture, staring questioningly at Rima over his mother's shoulder. She shrugged and shook her head, smiling.

"Oh Senri, how are you? I'm so glad I could catch you!" cried his overjoyed but exhausted looking mother earnestly. "I travelled here as fast as I could; your uncle wants you to do something for the family. I knew I had to tell it to you personally; it's too important."

There had never been a single occurrence in Senri's life when the phrase 'your uncle wants you to do something for the family' had ever meant that anything good was coming. Senri hated all the Shikis with the single exception of his mother, whom he adored and he didn't see any reason to feel hope that perhaps this time what his uncle wanted him to do would be a nice thing. Mostly all Senri's uncle ever did was rant about how grand it was that Senri's father was a pureblood Kuran and that Senri had to grow up strong, because someday his sire might deign to return, which duly meant that at that time he might need Senri's services. Whatever that meant. Senri was fairly sure (and he hoped he was correct for the grief caused to his mother) that Kuran Rido was dead.

Inside the apartment suite that the agent had secured for them, Rima went to find something to eat in the fridge while Senri sat on the couch with his mother, dreading what she was to say.

"Oh, does Touya-chan room with you?" asked his mother.

"Always mom." said Senri, watching Rima respectfully hide in the corner of the kitchen, reading a magazine while sipping at some juice she'd scrounged from the fridge.

"Ah well, she probably already knows about all this. I only found out yesterday when your uncle came to call. He was rather annoyed you weren't home. He thinks we're out of touch with society." said his mother.

"We are out of touch with society mom. We haven't been to a soiree since I was five." said Senri patiently.

"Yes, but that doesn't necessarily mean we're out of touch…" sighed his mother, holding one of Senri's hands. "Senri, you remember the Ichijou family, don't you?"

"They're all blonde, Shiki." shouted Rima from across the apartment, quite without needing to see Senri's momentarily confused face.

"Oh… yes. The head of their clan is the leader of the Council." said Senri. "His grandson is Ichijou Takuma."

"Yes, that's them." said his mother. "Well Ichijou Asato - that's the Council leader Senri - has been looking after one of the purebloods, Kuran Kaname, who I believe is your cousin. His parents were murdered; do you remember that? Anyway, he's made some sort of pact with a human called Cross Kaien and they're going to open some sort of strange school. Kuran Kaname will be there, as will Ichijou Takuma, Souen Ruka, Aidou Hanabusa and Kain Akatsuki along with some others from high ranking noble families, so uncle wants you to go, since you're of the age."

"Oh." said Shiki, thinking that he'd like nothing less than to spend time with a pureblood, especially a Kuran.

"Please Senri? It's not much to ask and you can meet other vampires… expand your social circle…" said his mother pleadingly. "It would be such an honour for the family you know."

Senri doubted that he really had a choice in the matter since his uncle was involved.

"Very well." granted Senri grudgingly. Rima decided to stop pretending to not be listening and sat down on Senri's other side, a small stack of video cassettes in one hand, all of which were about vampires, but not real ones. These were the sort of unrealistic cheesy vampire legends that only humans could think up. The sight of the video cassettes distracted Senri's mother and they spent an enjoyable night watching the horrible movies, then went to sleep in various scattered places throughout the apartment.

For the next few weeks Senri had no idea what to expect. They travelled back home and they worked, but now all anyone could talk about was the school, which Senri would've rather of refused. He looked at the portrait of his uncle that hung in the foyer with growing dislike whenever he passed it, the accusing painted eyes meeting him glare for glare. Luckily, they had no pictures of his father, so Senri was unfazed by that patriarch. He couldn't like any pureblood though, not after what had been done to his beloved mother, once the pride of the acting business. Her fans would of wept if they could of seen her now; thin, scraggly haired and unkempt, scruffy where she had once been elegant.

But Senri was to learn that his situation was about to get even worse.

For whatever reason, one late august morning Ichijou Takuma decided to pay a call. This was odd, because any decent vampire was asleep already and Senri didn't feel particularly charitable to the servant who nervously summoned him from bed as he dressed. After ordering the servant to refrain from waking up his mother, he stumped grudgingly downstairs in the ill lit foyer of their small mansion. Rubbing his eyes and groaning about the time, he opened the door.

"Hi! Are you Shiki Senri-kun?" cried a irritatingly cheery voice that Senri instantly despised. He shaded his face with his hand, trying to see his visitor around the glare of the nearly noonday sun.

"Agh yes; who are you?" asked Senri, stepping back to let the other vampire in. A tall green-eyed blonde boy frisked inside, annoyingly energetic and enthused.

"Ichijou Takuma." said his visitor happily. "I'm so glad to meet you; I'm sorry about the hour, but I wanted to get acquainted before school starts and this was the only opportunity. I had to sneak out."

"Acquainted… you're going too?" asked Senri hesitantly, closing the door and relaxing a little in the darkness.

"Yes indeed!" said Ichijou. "I'm the Vice President of the Moon Dormitory."

"Dormitory…?!"

"Oh yes and we're to be roommates!" said Ichijou. "So we should get to know each other."

"Wait - roommates? So we are to _live _at this school?" yelped Senri.

"Yes!" said Ichijou ignoring the fact that this was obviously fresh news to Senri. "The president is Kuran Kaname. Don't worry. He's kind. He has a little human friend actually; it's kind of weird and I've never understood it but she seems to cheer him up so… anyway, what're your hobbies?"

Senri stared at Ichijou blankly for a moment. "H…hobbies?"

"Yes, you know; stuff you like to do." said Ichijou, obviously thinking him slightly daft.

Senri shrugged tentatively. "Uh… I dunno. I'm a model. For the fashion industry."

Ichijou abruptly pulled out a magazine, which was fairly plastered with a absently remembered photo shoot that Senri had done with Rima, dressed in snow gear.

"I know, I see you all the time." said Ichijou pleasantly. "Do you read magazines?"

"No… I'm not interested in that." said Senri in astonishment.

"I read all the time. I love manga." said Ichijou. "Hey, have you gotten your uniform fitted yet? Let's go; you need to have that."

"Uh sure, but can't -" said Senri, but Ichijou was already yanking him out into the blinding sunlight.

"You can meet everyone else!" said Ichijou, dragging him bodily into a expensive looking black car that was waiting. Before Senri could escape, the doors clamped shut and he was trapped, separated from his dear bed. He stared out the shaded window mournfully, saying farewell to what had looked like earlier like a wonderful, rare full sleep. Senri looked around and jumped, to find himself sitting across from a tall dark haired vampire who had his eyes closed. Senri shuddered involuntarily and tentatively bowed as low as he could.

The vampire didn't make any motion that he'd even noticed him.

"Oh, Kaname's tired. He thinks we left too early." said Ichijou, smiling fearlessly. "Kaname, look; it's Shiki-kun. He deferred to you."

Deep crimson eyes that would of never of fooled even the stupidest of humans flicked open and Senri froze, meeting the gaze of the head of House Kuran nervously. This was a pureblood like his father, capable of controlling his very thoughts, or killing him with the flick of a finger. How could Ichijou be so fearless? Senri tried not to visibly cower, though he knew his eyes were wide like a mouse's before a tiger. He gripped his seat, flinching as far back as possible and hoping dearly that the pureblood wouldn't murder him right there.

"Calm down." ordered the pureblood boredly. "I have no intention of hurting you."

"Ah - yes, sorry!" said Senri swiftly. Lazily the pureblood regarded him, then Ichijou.

"You woke him up too early too. Unless we're going to see Yuuki, then I don't understand what all the hurry is Ichijou. Couldn't we of gotten some sleep first?" asked the pureblood.

"Oh no, you know humans are diurnal Kaname!" exclaimed Ichijou. "To come later would be insulting; we should make things convenient for the Chairman!"

"I'm already inconveniencing him enough by helping him create the Night Class." pointed out the pureblood with a wide yawn. "As well as that, I've known Cross Kaien for years and he's been dealing with vampires even longer than that. It would have been better to come later in the day."

"Yes, but this way you get Yuuki-chan all day." reasoned Ichijou. To Senri's confusion the pureblood smiled thinly.

"Fine, fine…" said the pureblood and Senri sensed that he was pleased. The pureblood looked back at Senri again with an appraising graze. "You're half pureblood."

"Uh yes." said Senri uncomfortably.

"Who?" barked the pureblood.

"Um, I believe he's related to you Kuran-sama." said Senri hesitantly. "Kuran Rido?"

The pureblood's eyes flickered scarlet for a moment and as he spoke again, Senri saw the pureblood's fangs.

"Rido?" asked the pureblood sharply.

"Yes." said Senri uncertainly. "I've never met him though."

The pureblood relaxed visibly. Apparently he didn't like his relative at all, so Senri resolved to never speak of him again.

"That is well enough then…" decided the pureblood, covering his face for a moment. "Ichijou, hand me the message again, I want to make certain she'll be there…"

The rest of the ride was quiet, Kuran never speaking again throughout it. When the car drove up through the trees along a cobbled road to a great set of iron gates Senri wondered about what sort of school exactly this Cross Academy was. They stepped out of the car, which sped away, leaving them by the gates of the complex. Senri turned his head, frowning as he thought he smelled a lower ranked vampire nearby, then shrugging it off. It didn't matter unless the pureblood was concerned about it. The gates opened and through them they strode, into the leafy grounds of the academy, which was peacefully deserted.

"Isn't it marvellous?" said Ichijou, effecting a twirl on the spot.

"Are you always this energetic in the day, Ichijou-san?" asked Senri grimly, wondering if this was the end of a good day's sleep as he knew it.

"Ichijou is energetic all the time." said Kuran, waving a hand boredly and looking around as if he expected to see somebody. "It's just how he is. You'll get used to it."

Ichijou unbalanced and fell against Kuran, grabbing the pureblood's arm in a familiar gesture that made Senri hold his breath, expecting something horrific. But Kuran didn't do anything and Ichijou righted himself, grinning at Senri's expression.

"Me and Kaname grew up together. We're friends." said Ichijou fearlessly. "It's not that he isn't scary at times, I'm just too used to it to be afraid."

Senri had no reasonable reply for something as ridiculous as the idea of being so cavalier with a vicious, dangerous pureblood.

"Besides he's gentle." said Ichijou, nodding as if to himself, then smiling widely at Senri as Kuran turned his head sharply, stopping and staring towards a sakura tree. Senri instinctively looked too and to his utter shock, a small brown haired human girl was watching them from behind the sakura. Bizarrely, the pureblood seemed to stand even taller as if he was making some sort of effort to impress what should have been his prey. Ichijou reached out, grabbing the sleeve of Senri's coat as the pureblood smiled, walking towards the small human, who fairly beamed.

"Kaname-sama! Kaname-sama how are you? It's been ages!" cried the girl, bounding eagerly up to the terrifying monster who swiftly swept her into his arms.

"Come on Shiki-kun. We should leave and get your uniform." said Ichijou, who suddenly seemed remarkably calm. "We can meet with Kaname and the chairman later."

Senri glanced back over his shoulder just in time to see the pureblood cupping the girl's face with a hand, his face amazingly gentle. He righted his eyes and sped up to match strides with Ichijou, not quite understanding what he had seen. Ichijou held up a hand for silence until they were a good distance away, then he lowered it, allowing Senri to speak.

"She - she's a human! Ichijou-san, _why_-?" spluttered Senri.

"That's Cross Yuuki-chan." said Ichijou seriously, still smiling. "Kaname adores her. Long ago he saved her life and for whatever reason, he likes visiting her. She makes him very happy."

"But how-?"

"-is she still human?" asked Ichijou knowingly. "Shiki-kun, you should know that Kaname does not consider humans that way. I do not believe that Kaname would ever bite Yuuki-chan. He protects her."

"That's… amazing." said Senri, his confusion not even slightly diminished.

"I told you Shiki-kun, he's a nice pureblood." said Ichijou cautioningly. "But like any, he is dangerous… stay away from Yuuki. He'll probably kill anyone who threatened her or drank her blood."

Senri could only hope that he'd remember that.

It was late into the night when he came home to a very panicky mother, having at long last escaped the clutches of his new roommate. Senri wished that Rima could have been his roommate, but he knew that co-ed wasn't allowed and that his placement with Ichijou Takuma had probably been largely political. Senri knew that his uncle and Ichijou's grandfather were both on the council of elders. He wasn't looking forwards to when school started, but his mother was so pleased about it that he tried not to complain, going about his job with a little less gusto than normal.

"Shiki, what's up?" asked his agent, frowning at him one day. "You usually work better."

"I'm not really looking forwards to going to the academy." said Senri grudgingly.

"Ah that's it! Don't work yourself over it Shiki, just relax and you'll do well." said his agent. "You're a very intelligent young man, so I expect you'll even get top marks."

_Against a pureblood? Not likely._

"Just do your best." encouraged his agent. "Now let's go at this shoot again shall we?…"

Worse than his agent noticing was Rima. She sat down next to him at lunch where he'd sat in a corner away from all the photographers. Senri looked at her as she settled down beside him, a box of their favourite pocky in her hands temptingly.

"Shiki." said Rima, offering the box to him. Senri sighed and took out a bag, opening it obediently. They shared it like normal, but Rima seemed concerned about him. "Few more days."

"Yeah." said Senri. This was usually how it was when they weren't at a show. From a young age, they had been able to read each other simply by body language, in such a way that at times Senri wondered if Rima could see his soul. The fact that they'd been indulging in each other's blood almost since they'd first met factored in, making them more aware of each others minds than might be considered normal. Nobody had ever said it aloud, but the Touyas very much expected Senri to marry their daughter someday, something Shiki felt perfectly fine with. After all, it wasn't like they ever argued, or found each other annoying. They just naturally took care of each other.

So Senri knew she was concerned about him, especially as she rested her head on his shoulder, silently saying that it would all turn out right, because she would be there. Senri sighed and gratefully rested his head on hers. He had no reason to be worried about a pureblood or a school, not with her there. They were best friends after all.

But neither of them could even imagine what it would really be like, so when the two models were dropped off together by their chattering agent (having refused their proud parents, since they would certainly make a scene in front of the other young nobles) they found themselves facing more of their kind than they had truly been prepared for. Strictly speaking, they were both far more used to dealing with humans. Senri nearly asked the agent to take him home right then, but Rima sensed his cowardly intentions and took hold of his sleeve to drag him towards the temporary out of the way building of the so-called Night Class.

"Rima -" said Senri nervously, staring at the staring vampires all around them.

"Shiki you're half pureblood." muttered Rima pointedly. "Buck up. Pretend they're all wearing nothing but underpants."

Senri smiled, remembering their agent's old joke.

"Better." pronounced Rima, beaming at him, then she continued to bravely lead him to the front of the building. "Keep smiling."

"I look demented." complained Senri, weighed down by his suitcase.

"Aidou." said Rima suddenly, stopping.

"What?"

"Idiot at ten to four." said Rima in the familiar language of their agent, who often compared angles to clocks. Senri imagined one and saw a messy blonde haired vampire with very blue eyes coming towards them.

"Lots of blondes here." said Senri, half disapproving.

"Red hair-blue eyes beats common blonde any day." muttered Rima reassuringly.

"Touya-chan, it's been a while." said the blonde vampire, stalking up with another taller noble in pursuit, carrying what looked like enough luggage for two. "Is this Shiki-kun? Wow, he's gotten taller, I don't even remember when I saw him last."

Rima didn't let go of Senri's arm.

"Yes, this is him. Why is Kain carrying all your luggage?"

"I don't feel well." said the blonde. "No servants."

"There must be some staff." said Rima.

"Yes, but we've been told to take care of ourselves." said the tall vampire known as Kain. "They just housekeep. Touya, Ruka is looking for you."

"Is she? I guess I'll have to find her. Sorry Shiki, I'll see you later. Ruka's my roommate." said Rima, letting go of him and walking off. Abandoned, Senri looked questioningly at Aidou and Kain, who looked back at him curiously.

"Uh. I'm Shiki Senri." said Senri rather lamely.

"I am Aidou Hanabusa and this is my cousin Kain Akatsuki." said Aidou rather pompously, pointing backwards at Kain, whose attire was rather more casual than everyone else's, his shirt even hanging open. "We're roommates. Who is your roommate?"

Kain flinched a little at the mention of being roommates with Aidou, as though it was a idea that worried him.

"Ichijou Takuma-san." said Senri helpfully, glad that he at least knew that.

"He isn't here yet." said Kain. "Hanabusa, we should sit down and wait."

"Join us, Shiki-kun." said Aidou and Senri felt obliged to sit with them on the steps, watching the passage of the other vampires, none of whom seemed to want to go inside and who milled about, waiting for something. Aidou chattered incessantly about this and that, with Kain making occasional observations. Senri was highly relieved when Rima showed up with a girl who had long, wavy ash blonde hair, but nothing changed in the waiting.

"Oh, I think he's coming!" said Ruka suddenly, perking up.

"Who is?" asked Senri.

"How out of it are you Shiki?" asked Aidou (who had already decided that honourifics were unneeded between them). "Kuran Kaname obviously; our beautiful pureblood leader."

"Did he just call another dude beautiful?" muttered Senri to Kain, who replied with a shrug.

"Oh but he is; he's magnificent and kind and…" Ruka trailed off, resting her head on her hands dreamily and staring off into space.

"He likes a human." said Senri, suddenly remembering.

"What? Really?" asked Aidou. "What do you mean 'like?'"

Senri could see that he had everyone's attention. "I mean, he's like protective of her or something. I don't really get it. I forget what her name was, she's just little though."

"Oh." said Ruka, looking considerably relieved, but no less confused. "But why would he be that interested in prey?"

"I don't know." said Senri.

"Maybe he thinks of it as a pet or something." reasoned Aidou. "Purebloods have been known to do some fairly strange things."

"That's true." agreed Rima.

"Well, maybe we'll find out someday." said Kain. "Look; a car."

Just as Kain had pointed out, a black car pulled up, a silver haired girl stepping out of it and opening the back passenger door. Out stepped the elegant form of Kuran Kaname, waited momentarily for Ichijou to follow, then what smelled like a male human with tied back light brown hair. The three strode up, the silver haired female noble stalking after them in such a way that Senri wondered if she was a bodyguard. The human walked level between the two vampire nobles that Senri knew as if he was equal and they stopped before the waiting vampires, who all knelt, bowing. Kuran Kaname was like their prince and they all showed their respect as such.

"Everyone, I'd like to thank you for coming." said Kuran, stopping short of them, his guardian standing slightly off to one side and behind. "I would like you all to show the same respect to Chairman Cross Kaien that you do to myself. It is largely because of Cross that we are here now. First of all, let me state the most important rule of Cross Academy which you will all follow - or suffer the consequences."

Everyone waited, holding their breath and wondering what rule the prince could possibly inflict on them that would be so important that he himself would mention it.

"Absolutely no drinking of blood on campus." said Kuran coldly.

Silence greeted this as everyone tried to comprehend what he had just said. How could he possibly expect them to live without blood?!

"Instead, one of the projects of Night Class will be to develop a substitute." continued Kuran, ignoring them. Of course they'd obey, but it would be very hard. Nobody would leave the academy just because of that, for doing so was risking the pureblood's wrath. "You will each be given a guidebook, which you are all required to read so that you may understand the rules in their entirety. Secondly, you will all have to fill out a survey. If you have any concerns, refer to your guidebook or ask Vice Dorm President Takuma Ischijou. That is all."

"Welcome to Cross Academy!" cried the human chairman cheerfully, waving at them.

That was only the beginning of the strangest years of Senri's life. He had no previous experience for what it was like, but he seemed to do alright, understanding the material surprisingly well. Senri relaxed and decided he liked it at Cross Academy, especially after they moved to the actual Moon Dorm. Ichijou wasn't quite as annoying as expected and Senri decided that he liked him around. Ichijou was very curious about modelling, but didn't pry too much into it, spending his free time reading manga well into the day. The best part of Cross Academy by far was seeing Rima everyday and thus Senri began to love school.

Or at least he did until they met the Day Class.

One evening when the gates opened to let them through and they were greeted by a horde of black garbed, screeching female humans. It was eery, seeing all the humans want to get so close to those they should of feared. Senri veered into the centre of the pack, staring at the mass of females nervously. Rima tapped his arm to get his attention as they marched along behind their undaunted pureblood.

"Shiki. It's just a different kind of show." said Rima, smiling. "They're harmless. Remember the underwear."

So Senri did.


End file.
